Last August, Stephen King fans received disappointing news when Warner Bros. announced that the upcoming remake of “The Fate of Salem” no longer has an official release date. Some six months later, we’re still waiting to find out when we’ll see this adaptation on the big screen, but as we’ve been patient with this particular project, King’s other upcoming film has received some huge news.
Originally developed as a Hulu exclusive, Rob Savage’s Boogeyman, based on Stephen King’s short story of the same name, is now set for a June 2 release.
Rumors of this event come from The Hollywood Reporter, and the reason why this is happening should be of interest to regular King’s readers. Apparently, the decision to change the distribution model was made because of the latest test screening results. Executives at 20th Century Studios were apparently impressed by the ratings Boogeyman received, and the box office success of such horror films as M3GAN, The Barbarian, and Smile inspired new thoughts about its profitable potential.
According to the scenario of “A quiet place” screenwriters Scott Beck and Brian Woods, The Boogeyman tells the story of two sisters who are haunted by an evil in their home after the tragic death of their mother. All signs point to some serious departures from the source material, which centers on a distraught father who goes to a psychiatrist’s office to mourn the fact that a monster is killing his children.
The talented ensemble includes The Yellow Jackets’ Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, David Dastmalchian and Marin Ireland. The film was shot from February to April of last year, with filming taking place in New Orleans.
To be 100% honest, June 2 isn’t actually the main release date, as it’s currently the same date being used to launch the highly anticipated Spider-Man: Across the Universes. One can imagine that 20th Century Studios sees “Boogeyman” as a counter to the family animated blockbusters, and we’ll just have to wait and see if their play pays off. If the buzz turns out to be legitimate, the film could turn out to be a hit that will remain in the top ten at the box office for several months.
Of course, the “Boogeyman” is only one of many Related to the king works, and you can follow how they all unfold with our upcoming Stephen King Movie and TV Guide. To delve deeper into the history of King film adaptations, check out my weekly Stephen King Adaptation column and see how your personal opinion stacks up against our ranking of the best Stephen King films of all time.
